Group C

China 0 - 2 Costa Rica

93 mins Full time. Costa Rica go top of Group C, above Brazil. For now.

92 Now that's comedy. Gomez, through one on one with keeper Jiang, goes past him but is forced wide and has to come back again before having his shot cleared off the line.

87 Lopez drives over from 18 yards after Costa Rica had China pinned against the ropes after good movement.

85 More yellow, this time for Costa Rica's Walter Centeno for shirt pulling.

83 Good stop by Jiang from sub Lopez's shot after more good work by Gomez.

79 Paulo Wanchope substituted by Wilmer Lopez.

78 Costa Rica's Gomez yellow carded after trying to con the ref.

74 Chinese substitution, Yu Genwei replacing Dundee's Fan Zhiyi.

72 Another yellow card for China after Xu Yunlong held Bryce's shirt.

70 Costa Rica take off Harold Wallace, replacing him with his club mate Steven Bryce.

69 Bit of a tangle in the Costa Rica area following a Chinese corner, Li Weifeng guilty of dithering with the ball after a couple of deflections had left him with half a sight of goal, albeit with half the Costa Rica defence in the way.

65 China immediately make a substitution, bringing on Su Maozhen for Yang Cheng.

64 GOAL! Gomez, enlivened by his goal, forces a corner. Taken short, the goalscorer turns tightly by the goal line, crossing for Mauricio Wright (or Wrigth as it says on his shirt) to head deftly past Jiang. China 0 - 2 Costa Rica

61 GOAL! Good work on the edge of the China box by Gomez, unlocking the back four with a cheeky back heel through to Wanchope. Just as he is about to let fly, Wanchope is blocked by Fan Zhiyi, but it comes back to Gomez who fires home from just inside the box through a crowded penalty area. China 0 - 1 Costa Rica

56 China come very close. Wu Chengying gets behind the last man on the left and crosses low at pace. It fizzes across goal but Yang Cheng's snatched shot at the far post was a waste with two waiting for the pull back. Milu must have put a rocket up some backsides, though - the Chinese are showing a lot more enterprise.

54 Good cross from the right by Xu Yunlong, but Yang Cheng penalised for his challenge on Marin as he tries to meet it in the air.

53 Another speedy Chinese break down the middle ends with Ma Mingyu failing to find the overlapping Wu Chengying.

49 Lonnis flailing again to clear a better cross by China, this time by Hao Haidong, after a clever freekick unsettled Costa Rica's defence.

Second half China kick off with neither side showing any line-up changes.

Half time - China 0 - 0 Costa Rica

47 China break nicely through Yang Cheng down the right, his deep cross is knocked back but Wu Chengying's shot is hit into the ground on the edge of the area and bobbles wide of Lonnis's left post.

41 China break immediatley, working it out to Yang Cheng who bears down on goal. If he'd looked up he would have seen Qu Bo in support to his left, but he instead hits a tired shot which Lonnis saves well. A goal seems beyond this game at the moment.

40 Xu's challenge on Wanchope gifts Costa Rica a free kick. Centred deep by Fonseca, but the central Americans make a meal of it.

39 Good work by Gomez on the right hand side of China's box, but having sold Li Tie, his pull-back stinks.

37 Li Xaopeng's right wing freekick causes momentary concern in Costa Rica's area as Qu Bo threatens to pounce, but they eventually clear it.

34 Li Weifung clears well twice from Costa Rican cross-shots.

32 The young Qu Bo's first contribution and he wins a corner, darting into the right channel and centring quickly after Hao Haidong's clever pass from wide.

27 Typical passage of play by China, breaking through the middle with fast balls to feet, flicked on nicely by Yang Cheng, but Ma's final ball hit in hope rather than expectation.

25 The injured Sun Jihai is replaced by the highly rated Qu Bo.

20 Best chance of the game, Jiang Jin making himself big to save well as Solis, having robbed Li Tei on the edge of the box, shoots when he might have cut back for the unmarked Fonseca.

19 Yang Cheng's break into the area forces a Chinese corner. Lonnis claims it easily, but lively start by China.

17 Solis yellow carded for another similar foul, this time on Sun Jihai as he hit Costa Rica down the right. This time the free kick causes more bother, Lonnis stretching to make his punch.

16 Nice flick again from Wanchope sets Costa Rica up through the centre, but move breaks down as China get back in numbers.

15 Marin yellow carded for his foul on the right as Yang Cheng turned him cleverly by the halfway line. Free is wasted again, though.

13 Hao Haidong follows through on Costa Rican goalkeeper Lonnis.

12 Fonseca chases long ball but is tackled, somewhat clumsily at head height, by Wu Chengying.

11 Chinese captain Ma brings it away down the left after Li Tie's heavy challenge on Solis was deemed legal. Ma's cross is way overhit, though. China enjoying some good possesion but seem unable to make it count.

8 Hao seems delighted to make his mark, bringing down Mauricio Wright who has a bit of tumble. Hao just beams, refreshingly.

6 Castro's left wing throw drops for Wanchope who does well to bring it under control and beat his man by the goal line. Hits it across goal but no one is waiting for it and it rolls out for a throw on the far side.

4 Wanchope's showboating already, his little flick typically bemusing team-mate Fonseca on the edge of the Chinese area. Martinez follows up with a tame shot along the ground.

3 China regroup and force the game's first corner which is overhit and Costa Rica bring it away.

2 First foray for China, former Palace star Sun Jihai winning a well-placed free down the right. Centre cleared comfortably.

1 min Costa Rica kick off - China's World Cup story begins with their coach, Boran Milutinovic, lining up against the nation he took to the second round in Italia 90.

About this article

China 0 - 2 Costa Rica

This article was published on
the Guardian website
at 13.00 EDT on Tuesday 4 June 2002.
It was last modified at 13.00 EDT on Wednesday 11 September 2002.
It was first published at 13.00 EDT on Wednesday 11 September 2002.